Whipple disease: intestinal infiltrating cells exhibit a transcriptional pattern of M2/alternatively activated macrophages

J Infect Dis. 2005 Nov 1;192(9):1642-6. doi: 10.1086/491745. Epub 2005 Sep 30.

Abstract

Whipple disease (WD) is a rare systemic disease caused by Tropheryma whipplei and is characterized by the presence of foamy macrophages with periodic acid-Schiff-positive inclusions in tissues such as lamina propria. For the first time, we report the gene-expression profile of macrophages in intestinal lesions from a patient with WD. Microarray and real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that genes encoding CCL18, cathepsins, scavenger receptor, interleukin-10, and lipid metabolites were up-regulated in intestinal lesions. This transcriptional pattern corresponds to that of M2/alternatively activated macrophages. Our results suggest that the T helper 2 response in the intestinal environment may account for the pathophysiological properties of WD.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actinobacteria
  • Aged
  • Biopsy
  • Cathepsins / genetics
  • Cathepsins / metabolism
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chemokines, CC / genetics
  • Chemokines, CC / metabolism
  • Duodenum / metabolism*
  • Duodenum / physiopathology
  • Foam Cells / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Profiling*
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-10 / genetics
  • Interleukin-10 / metabolism
  • Lipid Metabolism / genetics
  • Macrophage Activation*
  • Macrophages / metabolism*
  • Macrophages / microbiology
  • Male
  • Mucous Membrane / metabolism
  • Mucous Membrane / physiopathology
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Receptors, Scavenger / genetics
  • Receptors, Scavenger / metabolism
  • Up-Regulation
  • Whipple Disease / metabolism*
  • Whipple Disease / pathology
  • Whipple Disease / physiopathology

Substances

  • CCL18 protein, human
  • Chemokines, CC
  • Receptors, Scavenger
  • Interleukin-10
  • Cathepsins